Archicad - Arkio

Importing models from and to Archicad requires a Pro or Enterprise license. You can learn more about our paid features and start a free trial to try this.

Archicad 27, 28 and 29 are currently supported for exporting Archicad models to Arkio. Our Archicad plugins are included with Arkio's Windows Installer, available on our download page. You can install Arkio's Archicad plugin on Mac by following these instructions: Installing the Archicad for Mac plugin

Archicad to Arkio

To export your models from Archicad, you need to have the Arkio plugin installed, open a 3D view with all the elements and layers you want to export visible, and press the Export button.

After a model is exported, Arkio opens on your device, displaying the newly exported model in the Create > Import tab. You can open the model to preview it and place it at the origin in your current or a new scene from the import panel or place it manually by clicking in the scene.

After a model has been exported from the plugins, it will open Arkio and process the file. From here, you can inspect and place the model on your desktop device from the Create > Import tab.

Synchronize imports with other Arkio devices

If you wish to synchronize newly imported files across multiple Arkio devices, such as your PC, Meta Quest, and iPad, you can link your PC and other devices to the same Arkio Cloud group from Create > Imports > Cloud. After linking, new imports will automatically be shared with all linked devices.

You can also share your scenes, including all placed imports, using a live meeting or via an Arkio Cloud URL

Placing models in Arkio

Exported files from Archicad are placed in \Documents\Arkio\Import after processing in Arkio. They can be placed in the scene from the Create> Import drawer. Your uploaded models will also show here if your device is linked to the same Arkio cloud group.

From the import panel, you can click on the filename of your import to open the placement sub-menu, where you can preview your model and select model placement options like the size, orientation and version.

You can click anywhere in the scene to place an instance of the model. Or select "Place at origin" to place the model pinned in the current or a new scene following its origin. Models placed at the origin can be aligned with other loaded models, allowing for a round-trip between your design tools when exporting Arkio-added geometry back to your existing tool.

Model location and orientation

Models will be loaded in Arkio based on Archicad's Origin and North, so the map feature can be used to load any context around your building.

If the model has geometry modeled under the xy-plane (origin), the Arkio table surface can be cut away using Arkio's modeling tools. Making the void bigger than the loaded model enables teleporting and modeling on underground geometry.

If your model is far from the center or floating, it means it is far from its origin. It's best to keep your model close to the origin in 3D tools to prevent model inaccuracies. You can address this in two ways:

1. Place the model manually by clicking in the Arkio scene and pin it in place. When you export from Arkio back to your design tool, you must manually align your imported geometry to your original coordinates.

2. You can adjust your model coordinates by linking your Archicad project to a new file. Move your linked model closer to the intended origin point and then export it to Arkio from that file.

Layers and BIM data

Your Archicad-exported files contain layer information in Arkio, mapped to the Archicad layers. If you want to present or switch between layers in Arkio, you can customize the layers in Archicad and re-export to update your model in Arkio.

You can export multiple Archicad models into a single Arkio scene (and models from other supported design tools) and align them at the origin to gain additional control over layers in your scene, as you can control the visibility of all loaded files separately.

The Arkio Revit plugin exports all the available BIM data for objects. The panel can be opened from the Review panel > BIM data tab, and the imported elements can be hovered with the laser/mouse/touch.

The BIM data includes built-in Archicad parameters, such as Level, Name, Phase, and IFC category, as well as user-defined custom parameters.

Updating a model

You can update an existing imported model by overwriting your Arkio import files with the same name. In Archicad, this can be achieved by re-running the export with the same file name. Arkio will then recognize and process the new version, displaying a green arrow above the model to indicate that a new version is available. You can click this arrow to replace the older file in the scene with the new version on the current coordinates.

Arkio will retain the older versions of your imported models, allowing you to revert to a previous version by selecting the desired date in your placement menu and clicking "Update".

Troubleshooting

• Avoid issues and long processing by exporting only the geometry you need, using a smaller section box, and hiding unnecessary categories. See tips to optimize your geometry on this page.

• Sometimes, failing imports affect other files from loading in Arkio. Clearing your temporary resources often resolves most issues.

• If you have models that don't load well in Arkio, we'd love to review the file to improve Arkio’s importer. You can contact us at support@arkio.is